The benefits of collaboration are no secret, but as author Matt Ridley explains they may be the main source of human progress.

Ridley argues that our development relies very little on how smart you are but how well your ideas mate with other ideas (or as he calls it, idea sex). The following TED2010 talk details how we became more and more prosperous by sharing ideas, working with others and how little our individual talents mattered in the grand scope of human development.

Next time you're in the office, keep in mind you can get a lot further by collaborating rather than just hoarding your ideas. And if you're a freelancer on your own, maybe it's time to consider getting a work buddy.